Federal Government to Seek Compensation for Abandoned Nigerian Assets in South Africa

The Federal Government has announced plans to demand compensation for businesses and properties abandoned by Nigerians returning from South Africa under the ongoing voluntary evacuation program.

Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, confirmed the development on Tuesday, noting that the government has commenced a systematic process of documenting the assets left behind by citizens who chose to return home ahead of planned anti-immigrant protests.

Ajayi stated that he has initiated high-level discussions with the South African government regarding the protection and valuation of these investments. “I have asked [the returnees] before they left to document very accurately those things they were leaving behind, in terms of businesses, cars, and both movable and immovable properties. We can now take it up with the South African government,” he said.

The envoy emphasized that the government’s responsibility does not end with the physical repatriation of its citizens. He pledged that Nigeria would work closely with South African authorities to verify the locations and ownership of these assets to ensure that years of hard work and investment by Nigerians are not lost or seized illegally.

Addressing concerns regarding the legal status of the returnees, Ajayi rejected claims that the majority of affected Nigerians were undocumented. He clarified that many individuals had entered South Africa legally but were caught in a bureaucratic backlog at the South African Home Office, which caused significant delays in the renewal of their immigration papers. He argued that these systemic issues, rather than a lack of legal standing, were responsible for the documentation status of many affected residents.

The evacuation effort comes as tensions rise in South Africa, with anti-immigration groups scheduling demonstrations to begin on June 30. As part of the response, the Federal Government coordinated an evacuation flight operated by Air Peace to bring citizens back to Lagos.

The move has received support from former diplomatic officials, including Joseph Ayalogu, a former Nigerian ambassador to Switzerland, who has urged African governments to take a more assertive stance in protecting the rights and livelihoods of their citizens abroad.

Ayalogu condemned the recurring targeting of foreign-owned businesses in South Africa and suggested that regional authorities must press Pretoria more firmly to enforce local laws and ensure the safety of migrant populations.